Apparatus for propelling and steering vessels.



PATENTED NOV. l0, 1903.

J. DUPUIS. APPARATUS `FOR. PRUPELLING AND STEERING VESSBLS. APPLIGATION HLEDJULY 17, 1903.

No MODEL.

ivo. 743,760.

UNITED STATES' Patented November 1o, 1903. y

PATENT anion.

JOSEPH DUPUIS, OF'WOONSOOKE'I, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR HALE' TO JOSEPH O. GIGUERE.

OF ONE- APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING AND STEERING VESSELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 743,700, dated ovember 10, 1903. Applieatonled July 17, 1908. Serial No.165,997. (No model.)V

To' @ZZ whom, t Wto/y concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH DUPUIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Woonsocket, in the countyof Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Propelling and Steering Vessels,of which the following is a specification.

My invention pertains to apparatus for propelling and steering vessels; and it consists in the peculiar and advantageous construction hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims appended.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure l is a transverse section through a vessel-hull equipped with my novel propelling and steering apparatus, the section being taken in the plane indicated by the line l l of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section taken in the plane indicated by the line 2 2 of Fig. I. Fig. 3 is a plan view, and Fig. 4 is a detail horinontal section taken in the plane indicated by the line 4 4 of Fig. 2 looking downwardly and illustrating the propeller as thrown to one side.

Similar letters designate corresponding parts in all of the several views of the drawings, referring to which-- f A is the hull of a vessel. This hull per se forms no part of my invention and may therefore be of the ordinary or any other approved may be readily turned on its axis to move the general construction.

B is a bearing xed to and extending rearwardly from the rear portion of the hull.

C is a vertically-disposed sleeve formed integral with or fixed in the stern portion of the hull and having a circular groove a in its upper end, and D is a hollow axially movable or rotatable post closed at its lower end and open at its upper end. Said post is stepped 'at its lower end in the hearingV B and has a Iiange b, which is shrunk or otherwise fixed on its upper end subsequent toits being placed in the sleeve C, said flange being disposed above the upper end of the sleeve O and having a circular groove c in its under side and a groove d in its perimeter. The groove c of the post D serves in conjunction with the groove ct in sleeve B to form a race for antifriction-balls e, which have for their purpose to reduce to a minimum the friction incident to the rotation of the post, and thereby prolong the usefulness ofboth post and sleeve.

E is a shaft journaled in and extending rearwardly from the lower portion of the post D; F, a screw-propeller fixed on the rearwardly-extended portion of said shaft; Gr, a pulley, preferably grooved, Xed on the shaft within the post; H H, Fig. l, standards ixedly connected to the upper portion of the sleeve O at opposite points and extending upwardly therefrom and provided at their upper ends with horizontally-disposed bearings f; I, a horizontal shaft journaled in said bearings and carrying sheaves J, which are arranged side by side between the bearings; K, an endless cable passed around t-he pulley G and over the sheaves J and having for its purpose to transmit motion from a motor (not shown) to the propeller-shaft, and L a cable passed around and seated in the groove CZ of post D and designed to conneetsaid post with a steering-wheel. (Not shown.) \Vhile I prefer to turn the post D on its axis, and thereby steer the vessel through the medium of the cable L, Idesire it distinctly understood that a tiller or other means may beemployed to turn the post without involving departure from my invention, in which event the groove d in the post may be omitted. A

In the practical operation of my improvements it will be observed that the post D propeller toward Vthe right or the left, and thereby steer the vessel, and it will also be observed that such axial movement of the post will in no Way interfere with the transmission of motion from a motor in the vessel to the propeller F through the medium of the cable passed around the pulley G and over the sheaves J. It will further be observed that in virtue of the axially-movable post being incased in the sleeve D and stepped in the bearing B said post is securely held in position and supported, and yet is free to turn with but a minimum amount of friction.

I have entered into a detailed description of the construction and relative arrangement of the parts embraced in the present and preferred embodiment of my invention in order to impart a full, clear, and exact understand- ISO ing of the same. I do not desire, however, to be understood as confining myself to such specific construction and relative arrangement of parts, as such changes or modifications may be made in practice as fairly fall ywithin the scope of my invention as claimed.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a propelling and steering apparatus for vessels, the combination of the hull of a vessel, a vertically-disposed sleeve fixed in the stern portion of the hull, an axially-movable, hollow post snugly fitting in the sleeve and having a flange disposed above the upper end of the same, antifriotion devices interposed between the flange of the post and the upper end of the sleeve, a shaft journaled in the lower portion of the hollow post, and carrying a propeller, and means, arranged in the hollow post, for transmitting motion to said shaft.

2. In a propelling and steering apparatus for vessels, the combination of the hull of a vessel, a vertically-disposed sleeve xed in the stern portion of the hull, standards fixed to and extending above the sleeve, and having horizontal bearings at their upper ends; a shaft mounted in said bearings, sheavesou the shaft between the bearings, an axiallymovable, hollow post snugly fitting in the sleeve and having a flange disposed above the upper end of the same, antifriction-balls arranged in a race between the upper end of the sleeve and the ange of the post, a shaft journaled in the lower portion of the post, a propeller fixed on said shaft, outside the post, a pulley fixed on the shaft, within the post, and a drive-cable passed around the pulley and over the sheaves.

3. In a propelling and steering apparatus for vessels, the combination of the hull of a vessel, a vertically-disposed sleeve fixed in the stern portion of the hull, an axiallymovable, hollow post snugly fitting in the sleeve, a shaft journaled in the lower portion of the post, a propeller fixed on said shaft, outside the post, a pulley fixed on the shaft, within the post, stationary sheaves supported above the post, and a drive-cable passed around the pulley and over the sheaves.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence' of two subscribing Witnesses.

JOSEPH DUPUIS.

Witnesses:

EDGAR L. SPAULDING, N. C. HEALY. 

